Two new studies have been able to identify the
organic chemicals in fracking fluid.
The research, published in Trends in EnvironmentalAnalytical Chemistry and Science of the Total Environment, reveals that fracking fluid contains compounds like biocides, which are potentially harmful if they leak into the groundwater.
The authors behind the new study say it's time for the relatively new science to catch up with the extensive public awareness. They say an increasing research focus on contamination from fracking fluid will lead to more attention and regulation in the future.
This is really great news. Whether fracking fluids are leeching into fresh waterways is always a concern. However, before now, scientists and regulators could only look for fracking-related contamination through the inorganic, scarier-sounding
more obvious routes.
Previous studies have examined fracking fluid for inorganic content, including salt and radioactive elements that come from the rock formations. This new research focuses on organic compounds - the bigger molecules that companies add in to the fluid. The researchers combined two main techniques to identify these organic compounds: liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.
The results reveal around 25% of the organic compounds the researchers believe to be present in fracking fluid. This includes surfactants - molecules that are commonly found in soaps - and biocides - potentially harmful compounds that kill microbes in the fluid and the well casing.
Hopefully this data can start finding application in regulatory processes sooner rather than later.